they say you know when you know
by howlsatthemoon
Summary: I really don't know what to say right now. YOU'RE REALLY HOT UNGH is on the tip of my tongue, I have a feeling Scorpius wouldn't react well to that. / Rose and Scorpius pretend they don't have sexual tension.


_Disclaimer: Not mine._

For the Hogwarts Online prompt of the day: _"I've always loved you more. Accept that."_

x

they say you know when you know

**rose/scorpius.  
**_if it's not like the movies  
__then that's how it should be  
_(katy perry)

It was all stupid Xavier Ackerley's fault.

You see, I really just wanted to accept those damned flowers. They were purple petunias, too! I _loathe_ roses. They're too… red. And thorny. And cliché. Too much of myself, you know? But anyway, Xavier should have simply hugged me back and smiled and let it go, you know? Any respectable idiot boyfriend would have done that. Hell, if I were a boy, I would have done that. But _no_. He had to be _honorable_ and _stupid _and _trustworthy_.

I wouldn't even have minded if Xav had _only_ confessed to not giving me the flowers. Even if he didn't have a Valentine's gift for me or anything, I would have been satisfied by the fact that we were going to Hogsmeade later on, and there would certainly be romantic moments there that would fully surpass these stupid flowers.

But, once again, _no_.

"Roses for the _Rose_," he had said goofily instead, and whipped out a whole bouquet of big, fat, in-your-face, blood-red roses, a price tag for _five Sickles _sticking out the bottom. Now, I'm a Weasley, and sure, I haven't exactly tasted poverty but my parents have taught me about being hard on money. But you couldn't have at least bought me a bouquet of the flowers I despise worth a Galleon?

And so I couldn't look him in the eye at this very moment, so I sort of tilted my head to the side and glanced at the other end of the Ravenclaw table. And there, sitting by stupid Ocotillo Wood and my own _brother_, the traitor, was _Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy_, smiling gleefully like he's just won a million Galleons. And there, at that cursed instant, with his grey eyes meeting my blue ones, I knew that this was his doing, and he would be my undoing.

Then, Xavier had tapped me on the shoulder, practically shoving the roses into my face. "_Rose_?" he'd asked in his stupid voice with his stupid face and his stupid eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

I really don't know what came over me. It was probably the sight of Malfoy's _dumb_ expression; not attractive, not sweet, but _dumb_, alright? "Xavier," I said in a soft little voice, "I think we should stop seeing each other."

I wanted to slap myself. What am I doing? Xavier Ackerley is one of the best-looking boys in my year, and one of the smartest, too. As soon as I let him go, there will be dozens of other girls sprinting to sink their claws into him. He's a wonderful and sweet boy and, although, quite clueless and a little conceited, Rose Ackerley sounds quite respectable. There's also the _enormous_ plus that he's almost the exact opposite of dear Scorpius! Of course, beside the fact that they're both Ravenclaw. But yes, in comparison, Xavier is like… Harry Potter, and Scorpius that wretch Mundungus Fletcher (who _always_ shows up at birthdays to eat the cake, but always coincidentally "losing" the present.)

He still hadn't talked, by the time all this had gone through my head. His face was stuck in this stunned little expression, his lips all puckered and his eyes cloudy. "Xavier? Did you _-_ did you hear me?" I mumbled, guilty.

"Yeah," he grunted, shaking his head. "Yes. Well, honestly, Rose, I've got no idea what's gotten into you, but if it's what you want…" He looked up and down at me, as if trying to find where the brain-sucking leeches had entered my bloodstream. "I'll always be here, Rose." And then he sat down and proceeded to have eye sex with a fifth year Gryffindor. That git.

And, yes, where would we be without dear old Scorpius showing up at the _worst_ times? "Oh, Rosie, has something wrong happened?" he questioned in fake curiosity, just happening to be skipping along after I've broken up with my boyfriend of a year. "Why, where's Ackerley? Not by your side." He stood in front of me as I plopped onto the bench, a little in shock over the break-up. "If _I_ was your boyfriend, I would _always _be there when you needed me."

"Yes, yes, can it, Malfoy," I spat back, feeling my face turn warm. He sat beside me, wrapping a cautious arm around my shoulder. What happened to personal space?

"Are you alright, Rosie?" he asked, a serious look on his face. "Do you need some cheering up? My lips are always open to you."

I shoved him away as he begin to lean in, lips puckered. "Go bother some other girl, Scorpius," I cried. Oh God. Rose, what are you doing? Don't cry, don't cry. I could feel the tears forming. _You _broke up with _him_! "I _- _I want to be alone."

Instead, he did the opposite and came closer. "I'll beat him up for you, if you like, Rosie," he said, completely determined. "I'll _murder_ anyone who's hurt you."

"I know you're trying to be chivalrous or courageous or whatever, Scorp, but I've got Gryffindors for that," I drawled in anger.

He shrugged. "Look, I'm just trying to help." He waggled his eyebrows. "I've always loved you more. Accept that."

"Sod off!" I shrieked. His face fell, and it's definitely an image I've become familiar with. Stupid prick. I'd better not feel guilty for once, when I've rejected Malfoy plenty. "Those petunias," I sighed, "you sent them, didn't you, Scorpius?"

He blushed; I've never seen him embarrassed. "Yeah," he admitted. "I figured that you deserve flowers you actually _like_ on Valentine's."

I rolled my eyes; he's got to be simply dropping lines, trying to get under my skirt. "How did you know?" I asked. Seeing his puzzled face, I continued. "That petunias are my favourite."

Scorpius grinned again, looking sheepish. "That's easy," he said. "You mentioned it once. I remembered. Unlike _Ackerley_. He's a twit." He laughed, as if it was the funniest joke in the world. "_Roses_? Everyone knows you hate roses."

"Even my father still thinks I adore roses," I said, looking at my feet. His skin is warm, touching mine slightly. "Thanks, though, Scorpius."

He looked at me at the exact time that I turned to him. "For what?"

"Paying attention," I told him. Improvisation. I really don't know what to say right now. _YOU'RE REALLY HOT UNGH _is on the tip of my tongue, but _no way_ I'm going to say that. It's not like I'm attracted to Scorpius, or anything! It's not like he's being awfully sweet, or looking extremely appealing right now! I've just… I've only just broken up with Xavier and I'm lonely! I'm on the rebound! That's it.

"Well, that's easy, too," Scorpius confessed, and is it just me or is it getting hot in the Great Hall? "You're captivating."

Oh God. I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to do this. "On the off chance that I ever do go to Hogsmeade with you later today," I started, regretting it already, "what will we do and where will we go?"

His face was frozen and he looked like he'd just seen a ghost. Time ticking by, I made to admire a group of older Hufflepuff boys smiling at me. "Zonko's first, of course," he said quickly, getting the message, "and I'll buy anything you like. Then to Honeyduke's, for chocolate, and the Three Broomsticks for some warm Butterbeer. And then we can just walk around wherever you like, and watch the ugly little Cupids attack people on dates in Madam Puddifoot's."

I groaned under my breath. "We'll meet just outside the Common Room at twelve, okay?" I mumbled, unsure of what's happening. "Don't you dare screw this up."

His face contorted; first shock, then bliss, then confusion. "What does a screw up constitute as?" he asked reasonably.

"No fart jokes, no charmed snowballs, no getting into fights," I listed sternly.

He bit his lip. "_No _fart jokes_?_ Not even one."

I grumbled a swear word. "_One _fart joke. _One_. And I pay for the Butterbeer."

He smiled the widest smile I've ever seen. "You won't regret this, Rosie," he said joyously, practically jumping up and down. He stood, and towered over me.

"I better not," I teased. He hugged me before I could react, and was a couple feet away by the time I stood, too.

"Outside the common room, one o'clock!" he called after me, and danced out of the Hall.

It wasn't totally adorable. It didn't make me smile, and it didn't make me stroke the petunias still on the table, admiring their vibrant colour. And I absolutely didn't turn around, winking and mouthing a "Thanks" to my partner in crime, Ackerley, who was already snogging his best friend, Jerome Davies. Because I totally didn't plan this whole thing.

I am a Ravenclaw, after all.


End file.
